1. EGE – Open Round Table on the Future of Work
New Labour Market Trends and their Implications for Poverty and Social Exclusion
Amana Ferro,
Senior Policy Officer
Brussels, 5 February 2018
EUROPEAN ANTI-POVERTY NETWORK
RÉSEAU EUROPÉEN DES ASSOCIATIONS
DE LUTTE CONTRE LA PAUVRETÉ ET L’EXCLUSION SOCIALE

2. Outline of the Presentation
1. What is the European Anti Poverty Network?
2. Future of Work – Context and Trends
3. Key Messages: Implications for Poverty and Social Exclusion
4. Way Forward

3. What is EAPN - the European
Anti Poverty Network?
Largest independent network of NGOs committed to fight against poverty and social exclusion in Europe, with & for people in poverty
Started in 1990 – key actor in poverty programmes and development of social Open Method of Coordination, the Lisbon Strategy, and Europe 2020 and the European Semester
Receives financial support from the European Commission (EaSI programme)
31 National Networks and 13 European NGOs as members ( organisations)
Participation of people with direct experience of poverty must be part of the solution

4. Our Work on Employment (1)
What is EAPN –
Our Work on Employment (1)
Main issues of interest for EAPN:
Access to employment (supported pathways & inclusive labour markets, as part of Active Inclusion)
Job creation (accessible to key groups and regions)
Quality of work and employment (of jobs, and of the engagement with the labour market)
In-work poverty (almost a third of poor people are currently employed)
Access to social protection and safeguarding of employment rights.
Support for social economy, particularly work integration social enterprises (WISEs)

5. Our Work on Employment (2)
What is EAPN –
Our Work on Employment (2)
- Monitoring of the European Employment Strategy since 1997
- Consistent lobbying for the implementation of integrated Active Inclusion
- Ongoing monitoring of the employment target and related processes under Europe 2020 – dedicated chapters in EAPN’s NRP reports (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), as well as CSRs and Country Reports
- Video documentary on positive and negative activation practices (2011)
- Dedicated publications, including an Explainer on Quality of Work and Employment and a position paper on In-Work Poverty (2013)
- Awareness Raising Action on Living Wages (2015) - #EAPNWage
- Position paper on Inclusive Labour Markets (2016)
- Consistent push for decent work in the European Pillar of Social Rights
- 16th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty dedicated to in-work poverty (2017)
- Analysis paper on the Future of Work – Implications for poverty and social exclusion ( upcoming)

6. Future of Work – Context
European Pillar of Social Rights
Explicit principles about: secure and adaptable employment, wages, employment conditions, social dialogue, work-life balance, work environments, as well as on social protection, unemployment benefits, minimum income, pensions => will these be adequately mainstreamed in the European Semester?
Social Scoreboard: unfortunately doesn’t fully mirror all principles; includes indicator on digital access => will they trigger policy change, and how? Will they be reflected in the CSRs?
Timely public consultations on access to social security for all workers, a European Labour Authority, and a European Social Security Number => what kind of tools will they yield?
European Semester and Europe 2020: AGS & JER
Step forward towards rebalancing economic and social priorities, and positive rhetoric around wages, job creation, adequate social protection systems => will this continue in the Country Reports?
Risks of new, non-standard and precarious forms of work highlighted, which entails exclusion from social protection – need for new labour and social protection legislation
However, implicit support for flexicurity, and circular economy only seen for its growth potential, but not social risks and impact

7. Future of Work – Trends on the Ground (1)
Austerity measures have led to subdued job creation and downward pressure on quality of work and employment.
Both trade union density and coverage of wage agreements have declined in the European Union.
Technological change and globalization lead to wage polarization, thus exacerbating income inequalities.
Job security and employment protection have been declining – atypical contracts and bogus self-employment proliferated.
- EAPN members highlight specifically:
Rise of fixed-term contracts (NL, NO, SE, UK, CY, UK, IE, AT, IT)
Underemployment / overqualification (IT, PT, CY, UK)
Multiple low-wage job holding (CY, RO, GR, NL)
Weakening of contractual relations (DE, SE, NL, UK)

8. Future of Work – Trends on the Ground (2)
EAPN Main Concerns:
- Loss of routinized jobs => unemployment
- Loss of jobs due to delocalization => unemployment
- Loss of social protection coverage for atypical workers => poverty
- Increased employer flexibility => insecurity for workers
- Platform economy – allows for externalizing risks to workers (independent contractors, not employees)
- Digital divide and digital exclusion
- Social dumping and illegal migrant labour (modern slavery)
- Mass emigration, but also job competition from immigration
THIS IS NOT INEVITABLE!
HOW CHANGES ARE TRENDS ARE MANAGED IS KEY!

9. Future of Work – Trends on the Ground (3)

10. Future of Work – Trends on the Ground (4)
What people experiencing poverty say:
PRECARIOUSNESS: “People are thrown into any kind of job, sometimes with no minimum salary… and youngsters still dependent on them…”
LOW WAGES: “Instead of saying minimum wage, we should say ‘adequate’ wage; we need money to live, not just to survive…”
LABOUR MIGRATION: ‘‘Immigration caused by globalisation, capitalism, dictatorships… these are dramatic situations with people becoming poorer and more vulnerable…’
GLOBALISATION: “In a global society, we need to change mindsets against a constructed scarcity of resources…”
PARTICIPATION: “We need people to make decisions in favour of those who are falling through the cracks…”
SOCIAL PRIORITIES: “EU countries are not following up enough when it comes to social issues…”

11. Implications for Poverty and Exclusion (1)
Key Messages –
Implications for Poverty and Exclusion (1)
Better research on new ways of work
Take account of social, societal, cultural, health, and distributional changes; need to distinguish between changes brought about by trends, or the political & policy choices accompanying them; winners and losers; go beyond quantitative data to understand real impact on people’s lives.
Step up quality of work and of contractual arrangements
Stem the proliferation of insecure, unstable forms of employment, including self-employment and contractors, atypical, zero-hour, mini-jobs, involuntary part-time and short-term; more fluid contractual relations lead to greater segmentation.
Invest in comprehensive, adequate social protection for all
Prerequisite for combatting poverty and social exclusion; should protect all against risks throughout the lifecycle, at levels allowing for lives in dignity; social security systems need to be adapted to cover all workers, irrespective of type contractual arrangements.

12. Implications for Poverty and Exclusion (2)
Key Messages –
Implications for Poverty and Exclusion (2)
End punitive activation pushing people into unsustainable jobs
Curb current punitive approaches, marred by conditionality and sanctions, and favour positive, integrated pathways to employment, combining adequate income support with access to quality services, in line with Active Inclusion, including tailored strategies for key groups.
Tackle the digital divide & improve life-long learning
Improve efforts on digital inclusion, especially for those experiencing poverty and the low-skilled, so they are not left behind by the technological revolution, including in accessing goods and services; put in place quality, inclusive, and nimble requalification schemes.
Bet on social and civil dialogue for evidence-based policy solutions
Trade union coverage declining, newer sectors and atypical workers not covered; civil society organisations working with the unemployed, the self-employed, and those experiencing poverty and exclusion are a powerful ally, which justifies the formalization of civil dialogue on the same footing with social dialogue.

13. Way Forward (1)
Is full employment still a realistic goal? Is job sharing a possibility?
Not everybody can be retrained over night – particularly those in low-skilled jobs
Should we decouple income distribution from paid employment, and look into different wealth-sharing mechanisms?
Can basic income be a solution?
Main question: how to provide income security for people, so that they can lead dignified lives?

14. Way Forward (2)
A social and sustainable European Semester, where Europe 2020 objectives are at the core and on equal footing with macroeconomic and fiscal objectives, and the key principles of the Social Pillar are comprehensively mainstreamed (including in the CSRs).
A clear implementation roadmap for the European Pillar of Social Rights, with alert mechanisms and policy triggers embedded in the Social Scoreboard, to trigger actual policy change.
Comprehensive legislation on access to social protection for all workers, regardless of employment status, tying rights to the individual and ensuring adequate coverage for all – based on the public consultation.
A Work-Life Balance package which supports the needed flexibility for people to combine professional and caring responsibilities.
A social and sustainable post-2020 development strategy, aligned with the SDG framework, which tackles changes brought about by technology and globalisation to the benefit of all – no winners and losers!

15. Put people and their wellbeing at the heart of policy change!
Way Forward (3)
Put people and their wellbeing
at the heart of policy change!

16. Thank you for your attention!
Amana Ferro
EAPN Senior Policy Officer
EUROPEAN ANTI-POVERTY NETWORK
BISCHOFFSHEIMLAAN 11 – 1000 BRUSSELS
TEL: – FAX: -